JetBlue fined $90K for March tarmac delay

JetBlue Airways Corp. was fined by the U.S. Department of Transportation on Monday for not informing passengers on a plane delayed at New York's John F. Kennedy airport that they could leave the plane as it waited at the gate.

The DOT said it fined the airline $90,000 for the violation, which occurred in March.

The DOT said it ordered the airline to cease and desist from further violations. JetBlue has come under scrutiny lately for lengthy tarmac delays.

"Airlines may not leave passengers stranded indefinitely aboard an aircraft ... and passengers must be told if they are able to leave the plane," U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement on Monday.

New York-based JetBlue's stock, which has dropped about 17 percent since touching a year-high in February, was up 2 percent at $5.37 on the Nasdaq on Tuesday.